Automatic merchandising unit



' A. o. VAQ' vAc'roR AUTOMATIC MERCHANDISING UNIT Sept. 17, 1957 T2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 13, 1953 )Q15 Q Van Vacor INVENTOR.

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Sept. 17, 1957 A. o. VAN vAcToR AuTouA'rIc MERcHmDxsmG UNIT Filed Jan.13, 1953 War/1s 0 V027 Vacfor'w-I'NVENTQA Afro/m7 United States Patent2,806,631 AUTOMATIC MERCHANDSING UNIT Alburtus Oscar Van Vacrtor, LaPorte, Ind. Application January 13, 1953, Seria! No. 331,056 4 Claims.(Cl. 221-13) This invention is related to an automatic storing andvending system, and it more especially consists of the featuresdescribed and yclaimed in the accompanying specication and shown on theassociated drawing.

The purpose of my invention is to provide a combined storage anddelivery system for salable merchandise; that is not limited to any oneclass or size of merchandise; that is adapted to the storage and displayof all kinds and sizes `of goods; and that utilizes a single orduplicate machine to serve either a modest business or a 'largebusinessemporium without limitations as to the rclass, weight or bulk of themerchandise.

With these and other related ends in view I illustrate on theaccompanying drawing such instances of adaptation as will disclose thebroad features of my system without limiting myself to the exactspecific details embodied in the description and drawing.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a self serving merchandiser in service.

Figure 2 is a top plan View of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a spring motor drive.

Figure 4 shows the attachment of the carriage to the driving chains.

Figure 5 is a side edge elevation of the trip plate.

Figure 6 is a detached view of the delivery plates showing its relationto the stop between two storage plates.

Figure 7 shows the attachment of the storage plates to the chain.

In practicing my invention I may make such changes in the structure asthe exigencies of varying conditions may demand without departing fromthe broad spirit of thev invention.

In the main my invention includes special adaptations which serve eithersmall or large merchandise operations. These may be varied according tothe class and size of the merchandise that is to be stored andautomatically delivered to a purchasing customer.

The same principle is involved in the mechanism for storing merchandiseand also for selling the merchandise whether it is large or small andwhether it is operated by external driving means or a self containedmotor, such as a power spring to control the delivery of a purchaseditem to a waiting customer.

The device includes a frame 1 of two separate channeled members whichform a track on their upper edges. These members extend to whateverlength is required to handle the merchandise. The rear end of thechannel 2 is provided with stops 3, that prevent the carriage frompassing off the frame at the rear end.

There is a transverse idling shaft 4, which has its ends supported bythe channels. lOn the shaft 4, there are two sprocket wheels 5. There isa drive shaft 6, at the front end 14, of the frame 1. It also has twosprocket wheels 7. There are two endless chains 8, between the sprocketson the two separate shafts 4 and 6. These chains 8, support storageplates 21, which in turn serve to receive merchandise for storage anddelivery when a purchase has been made.

The chains 8, are placed just inside of the side frame 1, Iand theyserve to move the carriage 18, and attached storage plates 21, intostorage position and deliver individual merchandise items which are onView to the customer.

A small size storage dispenser may be spring driven as an individualunit illustrated on the drawing. As many units as may be needed to servea large quantity of merchandise are usually spring driven, so that thedifferent units are independent of each other. In the present instance along coil spring 9, is used. It is fastened to the inside of the frame 1at 10. The free end of the spring is attached'by a hasp 11, whichencloses a sheave 11.

The stored power of the spring is transmitted to the pair of endlesschains 8,- through an inverted or a block and tackle system whichincludes the cable 12. The one end of the cable 12 is attached to theinside of the frame 1 at 13 near the delivery end of the frame. This endof the frame is also 'located by the numerals 14. The other end of thecable after passing over the sheave is attached to the drive shaft by aconventional fastening.

At this point the cable passes to the drum 16, on the drive shaft 6, thedrum 16 is secured to the shaft. This shaft has bearings in the sideplates of the frame. In case of lan external motor being used instead ofself contained motor spring, the drive shaft 6 may project through theframe and be attached to a differential connection that will simulatethe differential action of the spring. These features are not shown onthe drawing.

The end 15 of the cable is fastened to the drum 16. The extra projectionof the shaft 6 is identiiied by the numeral 17, the carriage 18 slideson the upper face 2, of the side channels 1. It is attached at 19, tothe two chains 8, in front of the carriage also attached to the chainsare stor` age plates 21. These plates are not attached to each other butare free to lie on a horizontal plane when they are positioned above thechains and at other times they lie also horizontal below, chains. Theunder face 20 of carriage 18 is not attached to the :chains except atits side edges.

The delivery plate 22 is pivoted along its rear edge on the hinges 23.There is a spring 24 under the delivery plate 22, which keeps it raisedat its front edge. A stop- 26 which limits'its movements upwards and onthe underside ofthe delivery plate 22 there is a projection 25 thatcooperates vwith an extension that terminates adjacent the front edgesof delivery plates 22. This extension serves to lock or stop anymovement of the merchandise and chains 8 by reason of the extensiondropping between the adjacent edges by the tilting plate 22, put in ahorizontal position by the weight of a first portion of merchandise tobe sold.

The chains are of standard construction and consist of side links 28 andpivot pins 27. With all the parts listed above in operative relation toeach other the entire mechanism in its successive movement is automatic.The different movements of the apparatus rather lclosely follow eachother as is now described.

In the first instance the device shown `or any enlarged modification ofit will in all cases serve two purposes each:

The first purpose is to store salable goods and the second purpose is todeliver goods to a customer. This is accomplished as follows: the itemis placed one by one on the 'storage plates, the first item being nextto the carriage and each succeeding item in front of the preceding onethat is stored. As the successive items are put on the storage platesthey are pushed to the rear of the supporting frame successively item byitem until all the supporting plates are iilled and a last item willrest on the tilting delivery plate.

The first -customer will iind an item on the delivery 3. plate andremoves it; this then frees the delivery plate in position between thechains and a new item of merchandise is again pushed forward onto thedelivery plate. Thereafter the movements are duplicated until the 'lastitem is sold. If desired each operative -dispenser may have new itemsfor sale placed on the remaining unoccupied storage plates. Theoperation is thoroughly automatic throughout. If a customer desires twoor more items they may be taken as fast as they are moved forward one byone on the delivery plate.

The movement up and down of the delivery plate controls the time whenthe motor spring is set into action. So long as the delivery plate is ina horizontal position the movement of the chains is stopped but as soonas it tilts due to an item being purchased and its removal from thedelivery plate. This :action allows the spring under the plate to tiltit and automatically unlocks the progress of the chains and is attachedto the storage plates and the merchandise on them.

In practically carrying out my inventio-n I may adapt the dispenser to alarger variety of goods to be sold, making it larger for bulky thingsand also connecting a group of smaller machines to each other for motordrive and a larger machine lalso similarly connected to be motor driven.

The dispenser may form a part of a housing outfit that keeps all of thestored items closed as much as desired through the structure of thewalls of the merchandising room. The dairy merchandise such as cartonsor milk bottles represent 30. The two side members 1 are held in spacedIapart relation by two cross members 29 located at each end of theframe.

What I claim is:

1. A conveyor comprising a movable support for merchandise, a platformtiltable in a vertical plane constituting a continuation of the supportand serving as a mounting for merchandise, power means independent ofsaid tiltable platform for moving the Support toward the platform,abutment means carried by the platform, means for urging the platform,when free of merchandise, to a tilted position in which position theabutment means is disengaged from the movable support, and said platformwhen held in a substantially level position by the weight of merchandisethereon serving to place the abutment means for engagement by themovable support to prevent movement of the latter.

2. A conveyor comprising a movable support having a plurality ofindividual spaced rests for separate items of merchandise to beconveyed, a platform tiltable in a vertical plane and constituting acontinuation of the rests,

power means for moving the support toward the platform, means carried byand projecting from the platform, a stop, means for urging the platform,when free of merchandise, to a tilted position in which position theprojecting means is located away from the support so the support may bemoved by said power means, and said platform when held in asubstantially level position and against the stop by the weight ofmerchandise on the platform serving to locate the projecting means in aposition for selective engagement by a rest to prevent movement of thesupport.

3. A conveyor comprising an endless movable support for merchandise, aplurality of spaced abutments carried by the support, a tiltableplatform constituting a continuation of the support and serving as amounting for merchandise, power means for moving the support toward theplatform, means for normally maintaining the platform, when free ofmerchandise, tilted in a position away from the abutments in whichposition the power means is rendered operative so that any merchandiseon the support will be carried onto the platform to place the platformin a substantially level position, in which position the platform willbe caused to engage one of the abutments and prevent further movement ofthe support until merchandise on the platform kis removed, whereupon theplatform will return to its tiltable position away from the abutments toagain prevent movement of the support toward the platform. Y

4. A conveyor comprising a movable support for merchandise, a movableplatform constituting a continuation of the support and serving as amounting for merchandise, power means for moving the support toward theplatform, means for maintaining the platform, when free of Inerchandise,in a position disengaged from the support to cause the power meansv tomove the support so that any merchandise thereon will be conveyed ontothe platform and thereby move the platform to cause its engagement withthe support to prevent movement of the latter until it is againdisengaged therefrom.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS492,535 Slough Feb. 28, 1893 1,181,590 Gresham May 2, 1916 1,572,263 AshFeb. 9, 1926 2,522,896 Rifkin Sept. 19, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 528,463Great Britain of 1940 103,071 Germany of 1898

